2-3 Years

Having children is a wonderful thing, but it is also something that can take a toll on your marriage. Sleep deprivation, little “us” time, even littler “me” time, and as they grow so do the time demands. Whether you have one child or multiples. Whether you live in a house or travel in an RV. Whether you both work or one works and one takes primary care of the children. Whether you have babysitters to give you Date Nights, or you have no options of getting out without the kids. No matter what the situation, there are some things you can do to keep your relationship happy and healthy. If you think your marriage is great, then perhaps some of these will just be the icing on the cake.

Saturday morning we started prepping everything to leave our campground and head to the Lake House to have Christmas with Michael's family. Everyone was excited and giddy. Michael had just fixed our brake issue with the RV last weekend and was excited to test it out. The kids were excited to spend time with the Grandparents and for a change of scenery. Nothing could have prepared us for what was about to happen though...

All my life Christmas has been commercialized. It's about buying gifts for others, making lists, and receiving gifts. Yes there is spending some time with family, having a big meal together, but it never really felt like the family aspects were the most important. This has weighed on my mind for years because I feel as a society we have lost a lot of core family values and have replaced them with monetary values. Working longer hours, sacrificing time with your family, so you can buy a bigger house and acquire more stuff. Giving the kids gifts or money to show them you care instead of just taking the time to be with them and doing what THEY find fun. Bringing a gift to your spouse because you feel guilty you have barely spent time together the last week due to a big company project. Financial stress from your job spilling over at home creating more stress. One of the most common cause for divorce is cheating and drifting apart over time, usually because one or both were more focused on making money. Instead of giving time to the needy, people find it easier to just give money.

These two just crack me up! Criton has always been a mini copy of Michael from day one and it is hard to see any of me in him. He even dresses up in Dad's clothes when he is away at work! Here are some great pictures of them hanging out at the park and making faces :)